Decree No 422, "On Measures to Fulfil the Russian Federal Space Program and International Space Agreements"

Government of the Russian Federation 12 April 1996

In order to further space activity and international cooperation in this area, the Government of the Russian Federation resolves:

1. To note that jointly with the Russian Academy of Sciences, the Russian Federation Ministry of Defense, the Russian Federation Ministry of Communications, the Russian Federation Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other federal bodies of executive government, the Russian Space Agency successfully fulfilled the Mir-Shuttle Russian-American manned spaceflight program and other projects planned under the Russian Federal Space Program and initiated the work of creating an international space station.

2. To approve the work schedule for 1996 under the Mir-NASA program foreseen by the Agreement Between the Russian Federation and the United States of America on Cooperation in Peaceful Exploration and Exploitation of Space, signed during the Sixth Session of the Russian- American Commission on Economic and Technological Cooperation, and foreseeing: launching and docking of Soyuz-TM manned spacecraft with the Mir orbiting station in July and December 1996; launching and docking of the Priroda special-purpose module with the Mir orbiting station in April 1996; launching and docking of Progress-M transport spacecraft with the Mir orbiting station in April, June, July and October 1996; docking of the American Shuttle reusable spacecraft with the Mir orbiting station in March, August and December 1996.

3. That jointly with the Russian Academy of Sciences, the Russian Federation Ministry of Defense, the Russian Federation Ministry of Finance, the Russian Federation Ministry of Economics and other interested federal bodies of executive government, the Russian Space Agency shall take the necessary steps to ensure fulfillment of the Russian federal program and international space agreements in 1996. To treat prompt and high-quality fulfillment of work under the Mir-NASA and Mars-96 international space programs and the efforts to create the international space station as a task of special state importance. To take under advisement that in order to complete these projects, the Russian Space Agency will attract additional resources by concluding international contracts to transport representatives of foreign countries to the Mir orbiting station.

4. To approve the attached schedule for the financing of the expenses of the Russian Space Agency on the Russian Federal Space Program in 1996.

That the Russian Space Agency shall additionally conclude state contracts (agreements) to complete scientific research and experimental design work in 1996, and to purchase series-manufactured equipment under the Russian Federal Space Program amounting to 1,110 billion rubles [R] over and above resources foreseen by Decree No 227-15, 2 March 1996 of the Government of the Russian Federation, and within the limits of appropriations foreseen for the Russian Space Agency by articles 16 and 17 of the Federal Law "On the Federal Budget for 1996."

To grant the Russian Space Agency permission to attract specific-purpose credits from commercial banks (banking consortiums) under the guaranty of the Russian Federation Ministry of Finance in 1996 for the purpose of ensuring continuity of financing of developments and production of space equipment under the Russian Federal Space Program, for a term of not less than 3 months and in the amount of R700 billion, including R200 billion in March and R200 billion in the second quarter of 1996, according to procedure established by Decree No 227-15, 2 March 1996 of the Government of the Russian Federation.

To establish that the Russian Federation Ministry of Finance shall use resources foreseen by the 1996 federal budget for the Russian Space Agency to repay credits from commercial banks (banking consortiums) attracted to finance development and production of space equipment under the Russian Federal Space Program in 1996, and interest on them. That the Russian Federation Ministry of Economics and the Russian Space Agency shall submit, to the Government of the Russian Federation within a week's time by the established procedure, proposals on updating state orders for 1996 under the Russian Federal Space Program.

5. That beginning in 1997, in drafting the federal budget, the Russian Federation Ministry of Finance and the Russian Federation Ministry of Economics shall foresee allocation of specific-purpose credits to the Russian Space Agency for maintenance of facilities of the Baykonur Cosmodrome, the Russian State Scientific Research and Testing Center for Cosmonaut Training imeni Yu. A. Gagarin, and scientific research vessels.

That resources allocated to the Russian Space Agency in 1996 to maintain and operate facilities of the Baykonur Cosmodrome in the form of subsidies for the maintenance of the infrastructure of the city of Leninsk shall be considered when forming the basic indicators taken into account in budget calculations.

6. That beginning in 1997 the Russian Federation Ministry of Economics shall foresee capital investments into reconstruction and reequipment of facilities of the Baykonur Cosmodrome and the Russian State Scientific Research and Testing Center for Cosmonaut Training imeni Yu. A. Gagarin, in its calculations of expenses on the Russian Federal Space Program when preparing drafts of the federal budget.

7. To agree with the proposal of the Russian Federation Ministry of Economics, the Russian Federation Ministry of Finance and the Russian Space Agency to apply a reduction factor of 0.2 to actual depreciation in 1996 when calculating wear (depreciation deductions) of fixed capital (including the unique testing base) of scientific organizations and enterprises administered by the Russian Space Agency, of the main developing enterprises, and of manufacturers of rocket and space equipment.

8. To recognize as no longer effective the second paragraph of item 1 of Attachment No 1 to Decree No 1282, 11 December 1993 of the Council of Ministers and Government of the Russian Federation "On State Support of Space Activity in the Russian Federation" (SOBRANIYE AKTOV PREZIDENTA I PRAVITELSTVA ROSSIYSKOY FEDERATSII, No 51, 1993, Article 4992).

9. That the Russian Federation Ministry of Economics and the Russian Federation Federal Energy Commission shall consider, within a month's time, proposals of the Russian Space Agency regarding the list of enterprises and organizations participating in the Russian Federal Space Program to be supplied fuel and energy resources without limit or cessation, and submit them to the Government of the Russian Federation.

10. That jointly with the Russian Federation Ministry of Finance, the Russian Federation Ministry of Fuel and Power Engineering and the Russian Space Agency, the Russian Federation Ministry for Cooperation With Member States of the CIS shall submit, within a month's time to the Government of the Russian Federation, proposals on the procedure for reimbursable payment by the Russian Federation and the Republic Kazakhstan for electric power used by the Baykonur complex, and to resolve the matter of paying off the amount owed by the Baykonur complex to the Republic of Kazakhstan for electric power in 1994-1995.

11. That jointly with the Russian Federation Ministry of Defense, the Russian Federation Ministry of Finance and the Russian Federation Ministry of Economics, the Russian Space Agency shall submit, within 3 month's time to the Government of the Russian Federation, proposals on improving operation of the Baykonur Cosmodrome and on the procedure for maintaining, after 1 January 1997, the special military contingent foreseen by Edict No 2005, 24 October 1994 of the President of the Russian Federation "On Organizing Further Use of the Baykonur Cosmodrome in the Interests of the Russian Federation's Space Activity."

[signed] Chairman of the Government of the Russian Federation
V. Chernomyrdin